Getting to know a British Championship volunteer

The Gymnastics British Championships kicks off at the M&S Bank Arena this Thursday and we will have an amazing network of volunteers on hand to support the event and give those of you travelling to Liverpool the best possible experience.

Sarah Jeffrey from Prestatyn, North Wales, has been volunteering with us for the past four years and is back this year for her second British Championships.

Gymnastics is a big part of Sarah’s life and she enjoys working in the sport at all levels.

“I started out with artistic gymnastics when I was six years-old up until the age of 10,” Sarah explained. “I got back involved when I was 23 when I joined my local trampoline club. It was here that I also became a welfare officer and began volunteering with British Gymnastics.

“I recently tried adult gymnastics which made me realise I’m definitely not as flexible as I used to be!”

“I started volunteering because I wanted to give back to the sport that I had been involved with from such a young age. I’m a bit of a nerd when comes to all the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff, so it’s nice to see the operational side of how competitions work, from smaller venues to huge arenas.”

From speaking to fans on the concourse to working next to the elite gymnasts on the floor, our event volunteers have a number of responsibilities across the week, but they play a big part in helping the event run smoothly.

Whilst being a huge aid to us, our volunteers often develop new friendships and share memorable moments with people from all corners of the gymnastics community.

“Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet amazing people whilst still being involved in the sport that we love. Every competition there is someone new to talk to, whether they’ve been involved in gymnastics before or are completely new to the sport, it’s great to meet new people from all over the country.

“Last year I got to meet Danusia Francis which for sure was a highlight - I definitely had a fangirl moment there! I follow a lot of the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] gymnastics and it was great to see her compete back on home soil.”

There will be over 50 event volunteers helping us at this year's Championships along with many officials and judges. It is our volunteers who help to make events like the British Championships possible and we’re hugely thankful for their support.